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State media: Iran hangs man in rare public execution

The man is convicted of stabbing another in broad daylight, news agency says

Executions are common in Iran; public ones are not

Amnesty International: Iran trails China in the number of executions worldwide

(CNN) -- Iran executed a man in a rare public hanging in Tehran on Wednesday morning, local media reported.

The man, identified only as "Yaqub," was convicted of stabbing a man to death in broad daylight in October, said the official Islamic Republic News Agency.

The public hanging, which was attended by the victims' family and large crowds of onlookers, took place in the main square of the affluent northern Tehran neighborhood of Sa'adat Abad.

The October murder sparked outrage amongst Tehran residents after videos of the stabbing surfaced on the Internet and were replayed on Iranian state television. The killing took place in front of two police officers, the news agency said.

Although executions are common in Iran, public ones are not.

A death sentence can be handed down for crimes from murder to adultery.

The latest execution brings the total number this year to 20, according to a CNN count from local media reports.

On Monday, Iranian authorities hanged seven convicted drug traffickers in the city of Kermanshah, the news agency said.

Amnesty International says Iran only trails China in the number of executions worldwide.